PATRICIA A.M. HORSHAM

Driven by her passion for looking after others, Patricia A.M. Horsham has led a multifaceted career in both medicine and legal services. Having spent much of her career as an Emergency Paediatrician and Lawyer at the Children ‘s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), she continues to serve in private practice, working for two clinics in Ottawa and Toronto. During her time at CHEO, Dr. Horsham became a subject matter expert in child abuse which exposed her to an active and friendly community of lawyers. Earning a Bachelor of Laws in 1991 from the University of Ottawa, she went on to serve as a witness for the defence in numerous cases.

Well-regarded for her expertise, Dr. Horsham has been invited to lecture extensively in several countries following the publication of several books, including,“Accused to Acquitted: The Clue is in the Evidence” which is available for purchase on Amazon. She has also published numerous articles via several professional journals, and delivered over 70 medicals presentations. Accounting for her accomplishment, Dr. Horsham is particularly proud to have served as an advocate for abused children and to have reunited so many of them with their siblings and relatives.

OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, October 17, 2023, Patricia A. M. Horsham, MD, MBBS, FRCPC, FAAP, LLB, has
been included in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Originally hailing from Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Horsham received a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree in 1973 from the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in England after working as a nurse throughout her early 20s. After developing an interest in paediatric medicine, she went to Canada to specialize in Paediatrics at the University of Ottawa where she gained a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1979. On completing the program, she was granted a Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. She went on to gain an American Paediatric Fellowship, and acquired further skills by working for 35 years in the emergency department at the Children’s’ Hospital of Eastern Ontario. She held various positions in academics and education, including lecturer in the department of paediatrics. During that time, she also held the position of a part time paediatrician at various walk-in clinics in the greater Toronto area. She also lectured at the Common Law Faculty of the University of Ottawa on the Medico-Legal Aspects of Child Abuse Cases.

While working in the emergency room, Dr. Horsham was troubled by the number of abused children she treated and angered by the lack of justice delivered to those abused. As a result of her passion to care for this population, she pursued a career at the intersection of medicine and law to become a foremost authority on child abuse and child sexual abuse. Prior to her deep involvement she was prompted to obtain a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Ottawa in 1991, following which time she worked as a defence witness. She became an expert witness and medical expert in more than 40 child abuse cases in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Texas where she made it her mission to provide clarity in cases wheremisinterpretation of medical data and the legal acknowledgment resulted in a lack of justice.

For over half a decade, Dr. Horsham has focused on her private practice as a Paediatrician and devoted time to working in different clinics in theOttawa area. Alongside her medical practice, she has written numerous books and journal articles over the decades, including a textbook titled,“Practical Guidelines to the Assessment of the Sexually Abused Child” and a book titled “Accused to Acquitted: The Clue Is in the Evidence.” In addition to her publications, Dr. Horsham has functioned as a reviewer for several medical transcripts, given upwards of 70 medical presentations, and has lectured in Canada, New York and the West Indies. Outside of her career, she has contributed to the Caribbean communities in Ottawa and Toronto.

For her work and contributions over the years, Dr. Horsham received the Canadian – 2004 Harry Jerome Award from the Black Business and
Professional Association, which honoured her excellence in African Canadian Achievement and Community Services. Moreover, she was appointed as the University of Ottawa representative to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario – the profession’s Governing Body- and was a member of the University of Ottawa’s advisory board and medical faculty, among others. Dr. Horsham also held a membership with the International Association of Child Abuse and Neglect.

In all her contributions and accomplishments, Dr. Horsham attributes her success to her determination and her ability to overcome obstacles. She cites her most notable achievements as obtaining her medical degree, honing in on her specialization in paediatrics, and publishing her books.

Personally, one of her most noteworthy achievements is being a mother and caring for her adopted daughter. Dr. Horsham explains. “Her adoption was one of the most satisfying achievements of my later life other than my professional successes. At the age of 60 after I had achieved so much in my career, I asked myself what I next needed to do to make me perfectly happy and fulfilled. What is the wish that I have had all my life and could not achieve? I decided that I wanted a daughter because I had so much love and care to share. I checked all the boxes including good health and strength and set out to find my daughter. I had a great time despite the opposition and adopted her at age 2 ½ years. I have been supremely happy and satisfied and have enjoyed being a mother to Alayna. She is beginning to follow in my footsteps and loves being my daughter. I want to encourage older women that it’s never too late to adopt and still live life to the fullest.”

In the next few years, Dr. Horsham hopes to delve more into public education by appearing on televised programs to educate the public regarding basic paediatric and general medical information.

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